Dental hygiene liquid pressure device



July 9, 1968 w. F. WOODWARD DENTAL HYGIENE LIQUID PRESSURE DEVICE FiledJan. 4, 1966 IN l/E/VTOE 2'? Wbcwmmv WAZZEB A TTOR. E)

United States Patent 3,391,696 DENTAL HYGIENE LIQUID PRESSURE DEVICEWalter F. Woodward, 1266 W. Paces Ferry Road NW., Atlanta, Ga. 30327Filed Jan. 4, 1966, Ser, No. 518,565 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-232) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A dental hygiene liquid pressure device which includesthe soft tip that may be inserted between the teeth and a hand operatedfluid pressure container for supplying a jet stream of water forremoving residual debris from the mouth and for stimulating gum tissues.The tip of the device is removable and may be provided with a removableand changeable adapter to change the size of the outlet and thereby varythe stream of liquid.

It is well known that the dental problems from peridontitis result fromthe formation of bacteria from food debris or the like which is notimmediately removed and also from the inflammation to the gums resultingfrom the collection of substances which remain and harden.

Brushing, even after every meal, usually cleans only the exposedsurfaces of the teeth and cannot properly clean between the teeth, underbridge work, around orthodontic or prosthetic appliances and these arethe critical areas where gum disease starts. Even power operatedtoothbrushes do not solve these problems. In addition, things such asdental floss and tape, hard and soft toothpicks, rubber stimulating tipsand assorted intruments are available but the inherent problems involvedin the use of these generally discourages proper use and sometimes theimproper use causes more damage than good. An effective means ofproperly cleaning between the teeth and under bridge work and the likeis a properly directed pressurized stream of liquid such as water.Atomized and vaporized streams and the like are inadequate. The onlydevice known at this time for providing such a properly directedpressurized stream of water is a dental pump arrangement which is moreexpensive than the average person is willing to pay. The present deviceis a manual arrangement for providing a jet stream of water underpressure and for providing the pulsating jet stream which is ofteneffective in removing food deposits and the formations of certain typesof hardened substances.

Generally described, without restriction on the scope of my invention asdefined in the appended claims, the present device comprises asyringe-type bulb container adapted to be made from resilient orflexible plastic or rubber-like material or any combination of materialsto provide a collapsible out resilient and springy container which holdsa supply of water and may be manipulated manually with some amount ofmanual force for the purpose of pumping the water therefrom. Preferablythe bulb is in a somewhat pyramidal-like shape with an outlet openingnear the apex portion of the pyramid for receiving a barrel which in thepresent embodiment is an elongated tubular member constructed frommetal, hard plastic or similar material and having a tapered fitting onone end thereof spaced from a washer-like element formed integrally withsaid barrel thereby creating an annular groove which is to receive theannular portion of the cutoff apex of the bulb. Thus, the end of thebarrel is inserted through the opening in the bulb with the taperedmember on the inside and the washer on the outside and the annularportion of the bulb confined in the annular ring. The terminal end ofthe barrel is curved and terminates at an angle of almost approximately90 degrees with a tapered terminal portion having an outlet openingtherein 3,391,696 Fatented July 9, 1968 and having an annular recessformed thereon which receives an annular ring or flange formed on atapered, elongated rubber or plastic tip which is inserted over theterminal tapered end of the barrel and pressure fitted into place in afluid tight manner. Fluid, such as water contained in the bulb, by thecommon and conventional method of collapsing the bulb empty by hand andthen allowing it to draw the fluid from a supply, is pumped either in astraight or pulsating action by squeezing on the collapsible containercausing the fluid to emit from the small orifice at the end of thebarrel and through the resilient, rubber-like tip which may be insertedadjacent to and between the respective teeth to flush material anddebris from the gums and between the teeth. An adapter fits inside thetip for changing the size of the pressure flow.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive devicefor manually delivering a continuous or pulsating jet stream from aresilient tip for use in the 'lOllth between the teeth adjacent to thegums.

Another object of the invention resides in the specific construction ofthe parts for inexpensive and dependable operation.

Still another object of this invention resides in the specific formationof the resilient tip on the device whereby it may readily be removed andreplaced and is made fluid tight in a simple and expedient manner.

An additional object of this invention resides in the specificconstruction of the end of the conduit or barrel for delivering thefluid from the manually operated container and the arrangement forattaching the barrel to the outlet of the container.

Other and further advantages of my invention will become apparent uponreading the following specification taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the present invention with a part thereofbroken away.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one way of using the presentinvention between the teeth.

FIG. 3 is a perspective assembly view with parts thereof broken away andshowing the detachable, resilient and flexible tip.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the cross-sectional View of the tip inFIG. 1.

Referring to the various views of the drawings and initially to FIG. 1and thence as the description unfolds thence on to the other figures ofthe drawings, the complete and assembled liquid pressure device of thepresent invention is designated generally and overall by the referencenumeral 1% in the drawings and comprises three primary parts, to-wit: acollapsible self-returning, resilient bulb container 12 which may bemolded in one piece and to which is connected the outlet tube or barrel14 constructed from plastic or metal or the like and the very importantapplicator tip 16 which is flexible, resilient and somewhat elongatedfor fitting at the juncture between two teeth and at the gum line forapplying the liquid delivered under pressure.

Bulb 12 is a collapsible, resilient and. flexible bag-like containerdevice which may be molded in one piece from rubber, plastic or the likeand having a. cylindrical apex or juncture 18 which may be reinforced bymeans of a metal or plastic washer-like member 20 which is seated in andaround an outlet opening 22;. According to well known molding or othermanufacturers procedures, the reinforcing washer 20 may be molded intothe material surrounding the outlet apex portion 18 and thereby embeddedand retained therein.

The barrel or tube 14 is an elongated, cylindrical tube member with acentral opening 26 and upper, curved portion 28 which is curvedapproximately with respect to the longitudinal center line through thetube 14 and against;

which curved portion 28 tapers into a cone shaped portion 30 as readilyseen in the perspective view in FIG. 3 and which has the outlet 32 atthe tip thereof. The other end of the barrel 14 from the curved portion28 has a retaining means thereon comprising a first, fiat washer member34 molded to or otherwise rigidly attached to the outside surface ofbarrel 14 and being spaced from a conical shaped tip 36 by means of acircular notch or recessed portion 38 which receives the circularportion around the reinforced washer 2d of the bulb 12. This may be donethrough a pressure action of forcing tip 36 to expand the area of thematerial around and containing washer 20 and allowing the washer 2d andportion around the outlet 22 to expand and snap into position in thenotch 38 thereby tightly securing the barrel 14 on the bulb 12 andproviding a fluid tight joint or connection through which the fluid inthe bulb 12 is pumped by manual action through the inlet 40 in thebottom of barrel 14 inside of bulb 12.

The conical shaped tip 39 on the end of barrel 14 is spaced from thecurved portion 28 by means of a circular notch or recess 42 to receivethe circular flanged end 44 of the applicator tip 16. Applicator tip 16is removable and replaceable and is preferably molded from a shapedpiece of rubber or plastic or other rubberlike material into a conicalshape larger than but corresponding in taper and shape and formsubstantially to the outside surface of the tip 30 of portion 28. Theopening 46 which is circular and is defined inside of the flangedportion 44 is smaller than the upper circular portion of the conicalshaped tip 30 and is also in normal retracted condition smaller than thediameter of the outer portion which has the circular notch 42therearound so that the flange 44 fits tightly around the circularperiphery of the notched portion 42 between the curve portion 28 and theconical tip 30. This arrangement requires the applicator tip 16 to beforced over the upper part of the conical tip 30 to allow the resilientflanged portion 44 to snap in position in the notch 42 thereby providinga fluid tight joint and at the same time making it posssible readily toremove and replace the resilient, flexible tip 16. The outlet tip 50 ofthe resilient tip 16 has an opening therein and is spaced from the morerigid outlet tip portion 30 so as not to injure the tissue of the gumsor to cause any discomfort. The small cross-sectional area of the tip 50makes it possible to position the tip '16 inside the junction betweentwo adjacent teeth, which may be bridgework or crowns or caps or thelike, and to direct the jet stream of liquid directly between the teethand at the juncture of the gums which is the place where bacteria aremore likely to collect and where periodontal pockets form. A cone-shapedadapter 52 having a tube 54 rigidly attached thereto and extendingtherefrom fits inside the applicator tip 16 with the tube 54 extendinginside tip 30 thereby selectively changing the opening 32 and outlet 50to adjust for larger or smaller interproximental spaces between theteeth 58 depending upon the age of the user, condition of the usersteeth and gums and other factors which would indicate a larger orsmaller stream.

In the diagrammatic figure drawing of FIG. 2, a model 56 with teeth 58has the applicator tip 16 positioned between the upper adjacent junctionof two teeth and at the gum line and is holding the bulb 12 in the hand60 with the fingers 62 encircling the bulb 12 to exert considerablemanual squeezing pressure thereon. Bulb 12 is charged in the usualmanner by collapsing it first and then submerging the outlet tip 16 in aliquid such as water and allowing the pressure to fill the bulbcompletely full. With the bulb 12 filled, pressure from the hand 60 andfingers 62 causes a very strong jet stream to emit from the outlet 50through opening 25 in barrel 14 and theapplicator tip 16 which is pushedright into the gum line and spaced between two adjacent teeth confinesthe jet stream so that it spurts with significant pressure between theteeth and into the areas between the teeth and the gum line. Thispressurized jet stream is very important because it is the fluid whichprovides the necessary action to remove fine particles of debris and toflush away bacteria which otherwise would not be alfected either bybrushing or by atomized or less pressurized water baths as for instancewould occur when flushing the mouth simply by filling it with a mouthfull of water and rinsing it with the action of the tongue and theteeth.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my inventiontogether with a suggested specific manner of construction and includingsuggested types of material, this is by way of illustration only andthere are many other forms that the invention might take in varioussubstitutions, changes, deviations, eliminations, ramfications,revisions, additions and modifications may be made in the embodimentshown and described and other procedures and modes of operation may beobtained from the invention without departing from the scope thereof asdefined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a dental hygiene liquid pressure device to be held in the hand andmanually operated thereby and for aplying a pressurized stream of liquidsuch as water to the teeth and gum areas:

(a) a manually operated, resilient, flexible, self-returning bulbcontainer having an outlet thereon,

(b) an elongated applicator barrel mounted on said bulb and being influid communication with the interior of said bulb and connected andattached thereto with a fluid tight seal thereon,

(c) a curved outlet portion on said barrel which bends at an angle ofmore than with respect to the longitudinal center line of the barrel,

(d) a tapered tip on said outlet portion of said barrel,

(e) and a removable applicator tip mounted on and covering said tip ofsaid barrel and having a fluid pressure outlet therein, said applicatortip tapering to a small outlet portion which is small enough to belocated in the juncture between the adjacent teeth at the gum line, andsaid applicator tip being constructed from a resilient, flexible,rubber-like material which is noninjurious to teeth and gums,

(f) said barrel tip being provided with a removable adapter to changethe size of the outlet.

2. The device in claim 1, wherein said adapter is conical shaped on oneend and ha a tubular portion extending therefrom which fits into saidbarrel.

References Cited RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

R. L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner.

